my (secret) valentine
by 0nmyOwn
Summary: I'M SO BAD AT SUMMARIES but this is a little oneshot in which Enjolras surprises Eponine to help her see that she's not as alone as she may feel.


**AN: so hey guys! I just wanted to make a little valentine day thingy - I hope it's ok ha! I wrote it on my study break!**

* * *

Enjolras had been calmly observing the street girl for a few days, now. He had noticed, somewhat bitterly, how her dirty face would light up when his friend, Marius, would address her. He would watch silently as she desperately tried to smooth out her rumpled skirts and tame her matted tresses in an attempt to look presentable as she saw him approach. He watched on in pity and with a strange sense of anger as she tried to smile through a grimace when Marius would accidentally squeeze a bruise which decorated on her arm as he grabbed her in excitement over some new fancy of his called Colette.

He also saw how her face fell as Marius handed her yet another note, or brushed her aside when she tried to strike up a conversation. It made his heart reach out for the girl, and made him feel a strange fire in his stomach which made him want to comfort and protect. Enjolras also saw how her eyes would shine with unshed tears in the candle light of the Café Musain as he pressed an envelope into her palm before going to join the others for a drink and a laugh. Apparently blind to the distress which flooded the features of his shadow.

Enjolras could only stare on as he saw her swallow thickly and press her lips together in a tight line, sharply turning her head to the floorboards with an accepting nod of her head, her dark waves falling over her face like a tangled curtain. With a last glance across the room she made her way down the stairs and out of the Café. He wanted to go after her, to comfort the young woman who he knew to be called Eponine. But she was a strong and witty character, and he knew that she would not take kindly to being called out on her display of vulnerability. Her strength was all she had to her name, and who was he to take that away from her too? The poor girl had suffered enough.

But yet he could not allow himself to sit idly by as she struggled on, all by herself. There was nothing Enjolras enjoyed more than a challenge, and this was just too tempting. He would try to get a real, genuine smile to light up her face. To show her that she could still experience happiness in her world of gloom and oppression. To show her that there were men other than Marius who cared.

He sat alone at his usual table for a while, deep in thought. His friends had long since given up with trying to engage him in conversation, and they had politely moved away to leave him be, not taking his silence as rudeness, but simply Enjolras. He absent-mindedly twisted a golden curl around his finger as ideas flowed into his head, and his azure eyes seemed to stare off into a world of which no one else could access. Suddenly, the young man jolted out of his trance and with a glance to his watch Enjolras let a twitch of a smirk flash upon his lips. It was still relatively early in the day, and the market was sure to be open. With that he packed his books into his satchel and made his way across Paris. His plan would be a tricky one to pull off, especially for a girl such as Eponine, but Enjolras was sure that he would succeed. He was a determined young man, and she deserved it.

* * *

Eponine woke up rather early the next day, wincing as she aggravated a welt which she has acquired the night before from her Father's belt as she stretched her aching limbs. It was nothing she hadn't had before, she often returned home with less than the demanded amount. She was three sou's short last night – the bourgeois of the city were becoming much more careful with where they stashed their money in their pockets, preferring to store it in the chest pockets of their suits as opposed to the trousers – but unfortunately, master Thenardier wasn't sympathetic, and punished his daughter anyway.

She briefly inspected the bruises on her arms before pulling on her coat and hat and quietly sneaking our of the house, eager to flee before being noticed. Truth be told, her Father was the one person who managed to strike fear to Eponine's very core. Hearing his scratchy, low tone was all it took to make the young woman's blood run cold – but she would not admit this to anyone. Her fearless exterior was all she had to her name. If anyone knew that she was capable of fear, she would be beaten and raped and even killed within a matter of days. The streets were a dangerous place for the weak.

She decided to walk her usual route along the river – it was too early to start pick-pocketing as there were very few people about on the street – and she wiggled her toes in the grass, which was crisp with the February frost. She sighed to herself as she looked out across the murky water, today was the day where it would be rubbed into her like salt to a wound that she was without a lover. But try as she might, Eponine could not bring herself to despise Valentines day. She may have been alone in the world, denied love and companionship but the young woman was a romantic at heart and enjoyed imagining strolling in the park in a pretty dress and bonnet with a gentleman, who would buy her a flower and kiss her tenderly on the cheek. Today was a day where she would be able to watch enviously from the shadows as the couples of Paris lived out the life that she could only dream.

Eponine began to hum quietly to herself as she pretended to dance, swaying to the music which could only truly be heard within her head. She closed her eyes and twirled, relishing in the freedom of it all.

A quiet rustle from the bushes alerted the gamine that she was not alone on the river bank, and her guard came up instantly, "Who's there?" the called out to the shrubbery, which was now still. Knitting her eyebrows together in suspicion, Eponine scanned the area with her large dark eyes. Her shoulders were tense and her hands were curled into fists as she half waited for Montparnasse to leap out at her. She was not in the mood for his sick games, today.

She did a double take as her eyes landed on a bouquet of flowers wrapped in pink paper and tied with a ribbon, which was settled on the grass. This wasn't there before, Eponine would've seen – she was a very vigilant character. She was completely thrown and looked around her somewhat apprehensively as she slowly made her way over to the flowers.

They were truly beautiful! There was a mixture of roses, lily's and various other wild flowers of reds, pinks, whites and blues. Eponine was scared to taint such beauty with her dirty hands, but a note which was nestled amongst them sparked her curiosity and she very carefully plucked it out. Her eyes widened and she looked around again when her eye's laid on the print of the envelope: _Eponine._

She gaped in confusion and wonder as she pulled out the note inside with her shaking fingers. The note was short and simple, but the writing was so elegant that she could tell the writer had taken time and effort in it:

_Eponine,_

_You're not as invisible as you may think. You are like these flowers you see – quiet and humble but more beautiful and unique than you could ever realise._

_Happy Valentines Day, you may even find a love sooner than you think, but just like with flowers: you have to look in the right place. They may not be as perfect as the rose you adore do dearly, but they could provide you with happiness nonetheless. _

_With love,_

_ Your Valentine._

A single tear slid down Eponine's cheek and a smile broke out onto her face as she finished reading the note. At this moment in time, she didn't care who saw her in this state – _Someone had declared __themselves her valentine. Eponine Thenardier had a valentine!_ She clutched the flowers and the letter to her chest and closed her eyes tightly, wishing to be trapped in this moment forever, or to be able to bottle this emotion and treasure it forever. For once, Eponine forgot about the burdens of her life: her Father, money, Montparnasse and Marius – all that mattered was that she had a valentine! Someone _loved _her! Or at least liked her enough to purchase such beautiful flowers and write such a beautiful note and find a way of getting it to her! How the person knew where she was was beyond her, but she was too elated to care, just now.

"Merci!" she whispered softly as she took a sniff of the flowers. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink in bliss. "Merci, merci, merci!" she said again, only louder now and to her surroundings hoping that her _Valentine_ would somehow manage to hear her.

* * *

From behind a bush, Enjolras was hiding, watching the young woman with an uncharacteristic grin on his face, lighting his sapphire eyes to an even brighter shade. He didn't quite know what he was going to do from here – how could he ever confess to the street girl that it was him who harbours affections for her? If he did he would not only risk her not returning the sentiment but also his fellow friends would never let him hear the end of it! Shaking his head he decided that none of that mattered just now. All that mattered was that he had managed to get his little gamine to smile.

"Happy Valentine's Day, 'Ponine," he whispered under his breath, as he watched her re-read her note and clutch it to her chest.

* * *

**soooooo? was it alright? I tried to make them more in character than my other story WHICH I AM STILL WORKING ON, IT SHOULDN'T BE TOO MUCH LONGER BEFORE I UPDATE - I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING AMAZINGLY SLOW! **

**Happy Valentines Day everyone! :) xxx**


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